Leina Ashta (リィナ・アーシタ,Ryina āshita?) is a character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. She is Judau Ashta's younger sister and serves as the driving force and motivation behind most of his actions throughout the series.

Personality and Character

Leina is an essentially reasonable and responsible individual - the exact opposite of her irresponsible older brother. In some ways she even takes care of her older brother, though he does his share for her as well. She continually motivates and pursues him as he and his miscreant friends engage in their junk-dealing activities. He continually insists that he is doing it all to earn money for Leina's schooling. She counters, however pointing out that he is a hypocrite since he is missing school himself to do so. Leina is ultimately the driving force that conspires with captain Bright Noa and his more responsible friends to recruit him as a member of the Anti-Earth Union Group. Even once he has been recruited she backs Brights disciplinary actions of him and his comrades.

Leina displays a more rebellious side once she is captured by Glemy Toto. He attempts to turn her into a "proper lady" of the style appreciated in the Zeon court. She tries to escape from him on several occasions and sabotage his plans.

Leina has remarkable charisma and presence for her age. Even after being shot she gives a short speech to a group of officials of the Earth Federation criticizing them on their cowardice and disloyalty to their citizens.

While she is loyal and reasonable, Leina and Puru compete for Judau's affections. At one point she misreads Puru's intentions, being mistrustful of her and this misjudgement results in a battle that almost claims her life.

History

Leina grew up with her older brother Judau Ashta in the space colony of Shangri-La. The two lived together and alone for much of the time, their father having departed with an unspecified return date. Leina attended school while Judau salved scrap parts and technology and sold it for cash. Leina was critical of Judau's lifestyle, believing that he should be in school as well. When the Argama enters port and she learns that her brother has been trying to steal their mobile suits to sell them, she is disgusted. After Bright recognizes Judau's potential, he attempts to recruit him and his comrades in their fight against Neo Zeon. Initially Judau refuses, however Leina believes that having a more consistent, stable job in a military setting would improve their standard of living and give him a more productive way to spend his time. She therefore assists Bright in recruit Judau, at one point playing off his honor. Bright gives him a meal and Leina enforces that since he pays for what he takes, he has to work to earn what he just ate. While initially unsuccessful this tactic wins out in the end.

Once in space Leina ends up being relegated to chores along with the other young children on the ship, Shinta and Qum. When Gottn Goh come aboard the Argama as a spy attempting to assist Beecha Oleg and Mondo Agake's attempts to betray them to Neo Zeon, she is sent to the hangar. Gottn is attempting to escape in the ZZ Gundam's Neo Core Fighter, she brings him a normal suit and a box with a chicken that attacks him, however the intervention of Beecha and Mondo allow him to escape.

In a debris field, Judau finds a Zaku and attempts to retrieve it, still thinking of the price he can fetch off it. Bright chides him for taking the risk to tow it back and Leina yells at him as well, agreeing with Bright's decision. Annoyed at her brother's actions, Leina insists on joining Roux Louka in her attempt to retrieve the errant Judau, saying that her brother will only listen to her. The pair has an encounter with Glemy Toto while in space. Roux begins to lose and says that she will surrender herself to Glemy if he lets Leina go. He agrees, but Roux uses the opportunity to knock him into space and escape with Leina. Before they can return, Chara Soon attacks them and Leina is ejected from the cockpit of the Neo Core Fighter in which she resides. Glemy sees it and, believing that she is Roux, picks her up and brings her with him. After this capture, Judau's motivations shift entirely to a near complete single-mindedness of intent on rescuing her and returning her to him.

Once in the care of Glemy, he resolves that Leina must be tamed from the uncultured colonial girl that she was into a "refined lady". She already knew how to play the piano, however, he decides that she must continue to improve her skills with regular lessons. He teaches her table manners and gives her a dress to wear. Leina, on the other hand, remains dedicated to escaping. When at dinner with Glemy she asks to go to the bathroom. He chides her that discussing the bathroom at dinner is bad manners, however she insists that it is not something she can control and threatens to do so there. He makes her get up and bow, she does so flashing her undergarments in the process, he claps and she leaves beginning her first attempt to escape. It proves unsuccessful and when Glemy learns from Gottn that Leina is Judau's sister, he puts her in a normal suit and displays a holographic message, threatening to kill her if Judau did not surrender. He grudgingly leaves.

Once the Argama and Endra reach Moon Moon, the inevitable conflicts between the two ensue, Glemy leaves before hand for reasons unknown. In his absence, Gottn again decides to use Leina as a hostage, this time tying her in a Neo Zeon unifrom to the post on the top of a Gaza-C. Ultimately it is Chara Soon that orders Gottn to release Leina and she is freed from atop the mobile suit. She does not escape however as Neo Zeon begins to lose the battle and they all retreat back to the Endra. A second battle takes place a short time later Leina is kept imprisoned in the radar room of the ship. When the Endra is hit and start exploding Judau tries to rescue Leina but Glemy returns and again snatches her away and returns to his new ship the Mindra, saying that he will only trade her for Roux.

Glemy returns to Axis taking Leina with him. Here Leina encounters Puru for the first time. She witnesses Puru running past energetically and yelling "Purupurupuru!" She comments that people in Axis are energetic, but Glemy says that Puru is a bad example and to never act like her. Glemy takes Leina to a shop to buy a dress and when she goes to change she again tries to escape from him. Outside the store she runs into Beecha and Mondo and jumps in their car, with Glemy leaping into his in pursuit. The trio find Glemy's Bawoo and manage to all get in and steal it. Beecha then pilots it in pursuit of Glemy to get revenge for the treatment that they suffered on the Endra. The Bawoo and Glemy's care crash into the Axis palace and the trio is knocked unconscious. Judau escapes only a few meters away, oblivious to his sister's presence nearby.

A short time thereafter Leina is returned to the palace and plays the piano there, Puru takes her and leads her away and begins using her as bait to attract Judau. She stuffs Leina in her Qubeley and runs off. Puru then tells Judau about what she's done and demands that he play with her. He agrees if she gives Leina back, but Puru says that he is lying and that if she agrees he will only take her and run off. Puru begins attacking Judau with her funnels and causes damage to the interior of Axis and a playground where children nearby are playing. Leina tells Puru to stop seeing what she is doing. The Qubeley's psycommu becomes overloaded and shuts down and Judau attempts to grab Leina, but Glemy appears and prevents him from doing so.

As the Neo Zeon fleet approaches the Earth Glemy puts Puru through a simulation, attempting to force her to acknowledge Judau as her enemy. Leina walks in on the chamber in the ship and sees Glemy and a scientist their as well as Puru face down on the floor. She asks what's wrong with her, but Glemy tells her that Puru is just sick.
When Haman Karn gather members of the Earth Federation for a Neo Zeon declaration in Dakar, Glemy brings Leina. There Leina begins to first show her true and extensive power as a Newtype. As Haman gives her address and the members assembled their clap Leina is overwhelmed with a sick feeling and disgust in her mind. She realizes that every one of them is lying and has no loyalty. That they all simply believe that Neo Zeon will win the war and want to secure places in the new government in advance. She senses Judau nearby and asks Glemy to return to her room to rest. She runs off to find him.

Leina finds Judau as he is having an encounter with Haman, he tries to shield him as Haman aims a gun at him. When Judau tries to wrest the gun from Haman's hands she fires and grazes Leina, who throws herself in front of the shot. She falls and Judau manages to grab her and escape, she insists that she can walk and at the door asks the Neo Zeon guards to let her and Judau leave, saying that it is under Glemy's orders. At first this does not work, however she gives a stirring speech insulting the Earth Federation officials there with stunning poise and conviction that causes them to retreat in shame, it so impresses the Neo Zeon guards that they believe her and allow her and her brother to escape. In pain she drifts in and out of consciousness until the Core Base upon which she and Judau are riding crashes and both are knocked out.

Puru wakes her up and tells her that she needs to leave Judau alone to allow him to fight, she leads Leina off towards a hut, however upon reaching it Leina picks up a stick, accusing Puru of trying to do away with her and take her place. Puru grabs a metal pipe and the two clash. Judau is awakened and finds them as Puru is choking Leina with the pipe. He chastises her and tells her that the three of them can become a family together. Puru agrees. Judau leaves to fight and tells Puru to take care of Leina. Puru tries, putting Leina on a cot in the hut she goes to get a wet towel to relieve Leina's growing fever. At some point during this Sayla Mass arrived and spirited Leina away. Before Puru can return the huts are destroyed when Amantha Pola's MS-09G Dwadge crashed into them and explodes.

As the former crew of the Argama are launching into space, she is shown briefly sitting in a wheelchair next to Sayla Mass. At the end of the war, she reappears together with Sayla as Judau is preparing to go to Jupiter, and the two are tearfully reunited once again.